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My intent is to Educate, Celebrate and Elevate the Consumer Relations function in CPG (Consumer Product Goods) companies, especially for Brand Specialist and Analysts roles and responsibilities... !
Welcome to the My Curious Colleague podcast with your host, me, Denise Venneri. We'll be talking all things consumer relations with a focus on consumer product goods organizations and the brand specialist and analyst roles and responsibilities. So if you like CPGs, like I like CPGs, marketing, insights, and caring deeply for your consumers, well, take a listen. Hello, my curious colleagues. Today, I'm curious about how to effectively review packaging artwork in the consumer relations role.
Denise Venneri:Now let me ask you this question. Are do you feel it, you know, as as the supply chain constraints are in the far distance? There is this expansion of ideas resulting in new CPG products, and it is just out there. And how we see it in this role is it comes through often as packaging artwork to review. So, you know, I love it all, CPG.
Denise Venneri:I'm an aficionado of consumer products. Good. And, you know, this this excitement is bringing a little additional work to be done, but it is important work. The artwork needs to be approved, created so it can get out to those consumers. So now is the time to embrace this, consumer relations friends.
Denise Venneri:I am thrilled to be, you know, in my in my experience in the, CPG roles that I've done in the in the past to be among the approvers of packaging images. You know, there was a time that it was really something that it was rooted manually, and it was only quality that was involved in that, but some things have changed. So let's go with some guidance to help you get the job done effectively. So first, 0 in on your specific info. Largely, that's gonna be the contact us information.
Denise Venneri:This will vary by company company or even brand to brand, but, generally, this includes the TFN, which stands for a toll free number, the URL of the website you're driving consumers to. So, of course, that's www.suchandsuchsuchandsuch. The h o o p or the hours of operation. So that could look like the time period that you're open each day, say, 8 to 5 PM, and then also the time zone, central time. Also, is there any special language of, that will be available to assist those non English speaking consumers, such as French or Spanish?
Denise Venneri:If so, then advertise that. Do make sure it says se habla espanol, for example, that that is noted. Also, just going back to that TFN toll free number for a second, if that toll free number is enabled, in other words, the technology exists there for consumers to use the 1 800 number, for example, to text comments to you, then do note those directions. On pack to either call or text. But wait.
Denise Venneri:Your work is not done yet. Sure. This is the most critical piece of the whole packaging flat. But if you're like me, you're curious, and you wanna be close to the brand. You wanna be close to the consumers, and you wanna help your cross functional partners.
Denise Venneri:So my guess here is excuse me. There's a good chance if there's anything that kinda gets passed over on this review process because it's a very human review process, at least, you know, in my experience. The contact center is often the place where you where you will get those questions and comments from consumers. Therefore, working backwards, it's a good good work effort to help your cross functional partners and take this opportunity to check out the different sections. I think the next one that is always good to look at is the nutrition facts, for example.
Denise Venneri:So do a quick check that the callouts in the front of pack maybe they're just like little rectangles that call out this, you know, the sodium or the fats, and they also have a numeral attached to it. Make sure that front of pack, excuse me, front of pack matches up to the values in your nutrition facts. How about those ingredient statements and any allergen information? You know, the consumers are reading those labels as you are aware. You know, is there a big nine allergen ingredient that's noted that should be noted?
Denise Venneri:If the product has dairy in it, is that clear to consumers in the ingredient statement or not? And it's a really nice way to get to know the product, get to know the ingredients literally and put yourself in the consumers' shoes. Look. Your regulatory and compliance folks are all over these things, of course, but being that second or even third pair of eyes is often helpful. Another critical area, especially in the food and beverage business, is the prep instructions.
Denise Venneri:You cannot have a consumer experience your product and then come back and buy it again and enjoy it unless the prep directions are clear and they're able to get into that product. So check. And that's like the cooking instructions, that's another way you might label it. Does it appear clear to you as if you were a consumer using the product for the first time? Look at the words.
Denise Venneri:Look at the little images. You know, one colleague had a new prep direction for cold prep for a typical hot prep product, but the hot imagery and words was on previous packaging. And when they rolled out a little line extension, that previous prep directions got sort of copy and pasted over. Again, we are humans. So, hey.
Denise Venneri:If you can get close enough to your products and can see that as an opportunity, then do share that with your people. Again, someone else might find it, but you should get as close to that product and that consumer as you as you can. It will benefits benefit you in ways that you I cannot even go on to list right now. Now you have what they call the romance language, and do a quick scan. Look at the language, the description, the provenance, the lifestyle described.
Denise Venneri:Be a student of your brand, as I'm trying to say. What about the recycling information? Of course, this is more and more important to consumers. Does the romance language maybe talks about, for example, this great recyclable plastic that the package is made of, does the recycling logo and directions match that, or does it say glass, for example? Again, maybe it's a copy and paste type of thing, but it could be cause for consumer confusion.
Denise Venneri:Look. Your marketers will do their once over on their own, but, again, do a quick scan of the romance language. Marketers and legal, sometimes, will be the reviewers of the distributed by information. So that's sort of the legal entity and maybe an address. But wait.
Denise Venneri:Your work is not done again. You know, there's there's let me let me tell you why. There's so much else. There's the front of pack, as I mentioned, earlier. Let's go back to that for a second and and take a look at maybe the ingredients are drawn on there in a delightful way or the real ingredients that are are featured.
Denise Venneri:You know? For example, does the blueberries that are sort of scattered in the front of pack, do they look bluish or more purplish and could be misconstrued maybe for grapes? Again, this could be minor, but you wanna really help the appeal on shelf of the product and help that consumer take that product home with them and enjoy it. Thanks so much for your time. If you've learned even a kernel of an idea or was inspired by this episode, please consider rating and reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Denise Venneri:Be sure to share out the hashtag CPGCX because CPGCX really and truly rocks. You have been listening to the My Curious Colleague podcast with Denise Vineri. Thank you for your time.